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Crowley Launches New RO/RO Service Between the U.S. Gulf and Progreso, Mexico

1999-01-12

 (Jacksonville, FL; January 12, 1999)—On January 25, Crowley American Transport will make history in Mexico, offering to shippers for the first time regularly scheduled RO/RO (Roll On / Roll Off) service between the U.S. Gulf Coast and Progreso, Mexico, on the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula.

 This service will offer shippers the opportunity to use the full array of Crowley equipment, from containers on chassis to high-cube trailers. Vessels will sail from both Lake Charles, LA, and Progreso every five days with a transit time of 1.6 days in both directions.

 “By combining the new Gulf service with Crowley’s present RO/RO service from Jacksonville and Port Everglades, the company will offer the most comprehensive shipping service available (two southbound and two northbound calls per week) between the fast growing Yucatan market and the United States,” said Rinus Schepen, Crowley vice president and general manager, Central America and Mexico Services.

 Another feature of this new product offering is that it includes direct service between Progreso and the Central American ports of Puerto Corts, Honduras, and Santo Toms, Guatemala. Transit time from Progreso will be three days to Puerto Corts and four days to Santo Toms. The complete vessel rotation is Lake Charles to Progreso, Puerto Corts, Santo Toms, Progreso and back to Lake Charles.

 Crowley has designed its Progreso services to have special appeal for the 807 or maquila market. Ships from both the Florida and Louisiana ports will make Progreso their first port of call leaving the United States and their last port of call when returning to the United States. This will assure shippers and consignees of extraordinarily fast service between the U.S. and Progreso.

 Shippers will not only have fast service, they will have a frequency of two southbound and two northbound sailings per week. That means Crowley will have a ship in Progreso 264 times a year.

 To give the shippers and consignees even better service Crowley will offer 40-foot and 45-foot trailers in the Lake Charles service as well as 20- and 40-foot standard and high-cube containers, and 20-foot standard and 40-foot high-cube refrigerated containers.

 Still another advantage of the Progreso service is that all cargo may take advantage of the vast intermodal system which Crowley offers in the United States. Since cargo can move no faster than its documentation, Crowley handles all documentation via its VSAT satellite system in Progreso. Starting in February, Crowley will extend this communications system to Merida, the capitol city of the Yucatan. “We are very pleased with the growth in our Mexico services,” said Schepen. “The Yucatan Peninsula has shown significant development and we believe that by offering more and better services into this area, Crowley can be a partner in fostering even greater growth. In addition to Yucatan, we also see the nearby states of Quintana Roo and Campeche benefitting from these service enhancements.”

 Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Crowley American Transport provides cargo common carrier services between Canada, the United States and countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oakland-based Crowley Maritime Corp., founded in 1892.